The secret weapon for those of us who love makeup

No, we did not give the secret away yet. It’s not just exfoliation that makes all the difference to your skin and hence your makeup. While exfoliation is the process of removing dead and dry skin cells from the top of your skin, the secret lies in how and when you do it. Just buying an exfoliator off the counter, or making one at home does not do the trick. Here is what you need to know to make it work best for you.

Understand
first how exfoliation helps your skin

It removes dry
dead skin. It unclogs pores. It cleans the skin of residual makeup and dirt. It
makes your skin less prone to infections, pimples and acne. It makes your skin
glow.

Choose the right Exfoliator for your purpose

Choose a physical exfoliator or a chemical exfoliator according to your skin type and need of the day. A physical exfoliator is great for quick spot treatments. It works through the mechanical process of gently abrasing your skin so the flaky layer of dead skin comes off. They come in the form of scrubs, masks or even as simple sugar granules. When choosing physical exfoliators opt for natural ones and not the synthetic ones. A chemical exfoliator is good for more heavy duty exfoliation with more professional results. Chemical exfoliators work by making chemicals do the hard work of taking the dead cells off your skin as opposed to physical rubbing. Again while choosing to opt for those with natural ingredients.

Now for the
secrets!

Do not scrub
too hard

Don’t assume
that the harder you scrub the more the dead skin cells will be removed. It will
result in a lot more things which you would not want. Your skin would get dry.
It would strip the lipid barrier of your skin. It would get inflamed and red.
It would lose its softness and its gentle texture. Do it moderately just enough
to take the dead cells off. With a soft cloth applied in gentle circular
motions.

Exfoliation is
great for sensitive skin

While many treatments cannot be done by people with sensitive skin, exfoliation is something they will actually benefit from. This is because the exfoliating process not only clears away dead skin cells but also cleans out pores, hydrates and removes foreign matter and thus lead to fewer chances of infections and breakouts.

Do not
exfoliate more than once a week

While you need
to exfoliate regularly, it does not mean you do it every day. This will make
your skin too dry and harsh. If your skin is oily you might consider
exfoliating maximum thrice in two weeks.

Be generous
with the exfoliator

Take adequate
amounts of the cream or scrub and maintain adequate pressure while exfoliating.
You don’t want to overdo the job, but nor do you want to underdo it. Spread on
some more on your drier areas. Scrimping on the product will just make the
product last. Not your glowing skin.